Graduate Stories

To give you an idea of the impact that FEISA is having on children in Paraguay, here are stories about four of FEISA's graduates:

Anabel graduated in 2003 and now works for a government project aiming to tackle the huge numbers of children working on the streets in Asunción and surrounding towns. The project works with the families to eliminate the need for the children to work by helping the parents generate sufficient income. It also provides health, nutrition and educational support. Of the 1,340 children being supported by the project, 96% are no longer working on the streets. Annabel is completely fulfilled in her work. “I always knew I wanted to reach more than the children in one class. These children are vulnerable and isolated. Nothing was being done for them. To see the success of the project and know that this is possible for more and more children in Paraguay thrills me.”

Lili graduated in 2004 and now works with the indigenous Aché community. Educational provision amongst indigenous communities is the worst in Paraguay and it is difficult to find teachers for these communities due to the harsh living conditions. Lili’s dynamic, interactive teaching methods in pre-school made even the youngest children want to attend so she decided to start a nursery class as well! The community is delighted that their children are learning so much. Her teaching about basic hygiene is also ensuring better health for them and their families. Had Lili not received a full scholarship from FEISA, she would not be teaching today.

Silvia graduated in 2004 and now teaches in a day nursery run by a Mennonite charity. As well as having a class of 25 four-year-olds, she co-ordinates the volunteers who work with all the children, aged from 6 months to 5 years. The charity’s vision is to offer economic, social and spiritual help to disadvantaged families, most of whom come from shanty towns. They wash, feed, educate and provide basic medical care for the children and they provide talks and workshops for the parents on parenting and life skills. Silvia is now studying for the degree at FEISA and she says she’s learning an enormous amount. She says, “My whole life I have wanted to be a teacher. FEISA gave me very good training, which prepared me well for the job. Now my desire is to become the director of a Christian school. Doing the degree is the first step. This is my vocation.”

Elisa graduated in 2006 and is now teaching in a charity-run school for children at risk. She has a class of 23 five-year-olds, all of whom come from families where the parents are either in prison, working on the street or ill, often with AIDS. She acts as nurse and mother as well as teacher to these very needy children. Before she came to FEISA she felt called by God to work with young children, but did not have the economic means to pay for teacher training. By offering her a scholarship, FEISA gave her the opportunity to qualify as a teacher and she says it was a dream come true for her to be able to study, a real gift from God. She now feels fulfilled in her work; “I feel useful and I’ve got so much to give. I try to make a difference to the children’s lives, giving them the love and attention they need.”

June 2009

Sorry this didn't get uploaded earlier in the month...

In May we asked you to pray for the setting up of the play space in Quyquyho, following a training session for the leaders of the children’s ministry in April. We are very pleased to report that the first sessions went very well indeed. Sam Parsons was there to help the team set it up the first week of May and she writes; “On the Saturday Osvaldo invited all the mums and children from 0-7 years from the village to see the play scheme and learn about the ministry they are opening to them. One mum said that Quyquyho had never had anything like this before and that it was a real privilege for their children. Then all 37 children were invited to play and had the most wonderful time. The 4 helpers were absolutely fantastic and played brilliantly with the children. What a great and committed team they have.” Praise God for the way he is extending the ministry of FEISA’s play scheme to bless other ministries in Paraguay.

The two workshops run by FEISA teachers at the ACSI conference were a great success. A total of 180 Christian teachers participated and Ana Demestri has been asked to take her workshop to the ACSI conference in Ciudad del Este, as well as a number of schools in Asunción. Praise the Lord for these opportunities to help improve the standard of education across the country.

From 8th to 12th June, Anglican pastors in the Chaco will have training on how to use the FEISA-produced Bible materials in Enxet for children. The final part of the adult and child literacy materials will be translated during the same week. Pray for Esteban, from FEISA, and Remigio, from the Chaco, as they carry out the training work together, and Remigio as he works on the translation.

The Ministry of Education decided on Monday 1st June to move the dates of the July holidays forward by one week. This has caused significant disruption to the timetable at FEISA, due to exams and teaching practices taking place in the last two weeks of term.

The first and third years have exams from 22nd June to 3rd July. For the third year students, these are their final exams because after the July holidays, they will be on teaching practice for the whole of the second semester, until they finish in November.

The second years start planning for their teaching practice on 8th June and will be teaching from 22nd June to 3rd July. Please pray for peace and wisdom as things need to be reorganized, particularly for the second year students who will now have very little time to spend with the children before they have to teach them.

Pray for strength, guidance and grace for Ana Demestri, head of Teaching Practices, who has to organise the second years’ teaching practice without the help of her assistant, Noemí, who is on maternity leave. Praise the Lord for the safe arrival of Rebeca, Noemí’s second daughter, on 29th May.

Our vision of offering high quality Christian teacher training at an affordable cost means our dependence on outside funding is too heavy for our small institution to sustain long term. Please pray for much wisdom, peace and grace as the leadership and the Anglican Church, which is the governing authority of FEISA, steer it through some very difficult decisions.